ANNUAL REVIEW master Final3a - St Vincent's University Hospital

St. Vincent’s Healthcare Group Limited - Annual Review 2007
Allied Health Professionals - Medical Social Work Department
Training in clinical supervision was undertaken in the year by 5 of the Senior Social Workers. At this stage
all of the Senior Team have been trained in the Morrison Model which has been tried and tested in the NHS
in the UK.
The 3 Social Workers in Old Age Psychiatry have been holding information briefings for carers since the
autumn of 2007. They plan to develop this model further by giving relatives an opportunity now and again, in
a structured forum, to ventilate their feelings/frustrations etc and build mutual support.
Several of the Social Work Team were involved in the pilot phase of the “Fair Deal” initiative for Older People
in Dublin Mid Leinster. They provided valuable feedback about the clinical decision making process to the
HSE.
Eileen O’Donnell, Senior Social Worker, has played a key role in the “Care to Drive” project funded by the
Irish Cancer Society in conjunction with our hospital. It will be directed at Cancer patients who because of
their circumstances require someone to drive them to and from St Vincent’s University Hospital for treatment.
It hopefully will be up and running in 2008. She has also been involved with a research project being
operated by the National Cancer Registry Office on the “Financial implications of a diagnosis of cancer.”
Departmental Statistics
The graph shows the number of cases opened and closed in the social work department from 2005-2007.
The nature of the referrals to Medical Social Work.
As can be seen assessment is the predominant request with discharge planning coming second. Other can
incorporate placement either short term or long term, housing issues and other practical help, child
protection, elder abuse to name a few.
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